Toy aeroplane



Jan! 14, 1930. J. M. SCHUTTE TOY AEROPLANE Original Filed Oct. 8. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 72110 77!. 6072a Zze,

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ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 14, 1930. SCHUTTEY I Re. 17,564

TOY AEROPLANE Original Filed Oct. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Reissued Jan. 14, 1930 7 R UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JUNIUS I. SCHUTTE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AERO MODEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS TOY AEROPLANE Original No. 1,723,446, dated August 6, 1929, Serial No. 224,779, filed October 8, 1927. Application for reissue filed. October 25, 1929. Serial No. 402,512.

This invention relates to improvements in The principal elements are the fuselage or toy aeroplanes and more particularly to body 1, the wings 2, 2 extending from the miniature or model planes, designed and consides of the fuselage, landing struts 3, 3 exstructed in accordance with the recognized tending downwardly from the fuselage and 5 standards of aeronautic practice and capable equipped with wheels 4, 4, a propeller 5 at the of leaving the ground and maintaining susforward end, and the vertical and lateral tained flight under their own power for a rudders6 and7 at the rear end of the fusela e. period of appreciable duration. The rudders are fixed, although they can e The object of the invention is to provide a warped if desired, tov control the flight.

1o practical and useful article for amusement In the preferred embodiment, the construcand experiment, which may be likened more tion and design of the wings follow closely to a model than a toy, since it embodies much the standard practice in aeroplane design alof the structural detail of a full-sized plane though a less costly construction can be used. and combines the lightness and balance neces- As shown, these parts consist of a skeleton I6 sary for flight, and, in spite of its fragile apframe work covered with a light fibrous mapearance, is constructed in such a way as to be terial of a suitable kind and quality. The capable of surviving, without damage, the fuselage 1 is a hollow elongated body with the impacts received incident to landing and confamiliar stream line sha e and is made of a tact with objects encountered in flight. plurality of transverse rame members 8 of 20 A further object of the invention is to prowood or other fibrous material, and spaced vide new and novel means for propelling the apart at intervals from end to end. These plane including a propeller and tension frame members are generally rectangular in ands connected with the propeller, all comshape but vary in size to conform to the secbined into a unit designed to be detachably tional contourof the body at theseveral points '18 and removably supported within the plane where these members are located. There are 7 fuselage. also longitudinal frame members 9 connect- The novel features of the invention are ing the transverse members, and complete the disclosed in the accompanying drawings of skeleton frame over which the covering or a miniature plane of the monoplane type. skin 10 is applied.

' In the drawings, The wings 2, 2 are constructed in somewhat 80,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the the same manner, consisting of skeleton plane, with portions broken away to show the frames of longitudinal strut members 11 of structure. light strips of wood and the transverse sec- Figure 2 is a view in vertical section as tions 12 of the same or other suitable ma- 86 taken on line 22 of Figure 1. terial (Figure 4). A covering 13 of thin as Figure 3 is a top plan View of the plane fibrous material is applied over the wing showing one of the wings detached. frames as in the case of the fuselage. As

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the conthus constructed the fuselage and wings are struction of the wings and the manner in exceedingly light and strong, both being es- 40 which the same are detachably connected sential to sustain flight and durability. 90 with the fuselage. The landing chassis consists of the struts 3 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the proand wheels 4 together with intermediate polling unit and the members for supporting shock absorbers which will be presently dethe same within the body of the plane, and scribed. The struts 3, 3 are preferably in 48 Figure 6 is a view in front elevation of the form of open triangular shaped frames the plane showing the construction of the secured to the under side of the fuselage and nose as taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1. extend downwardly with a slight lateral di- As heretofore suggested, the design and vergence as shown in Figure 2. The lower construction of the model resembles closely ends of the struts terminate in a point or apex to that ofa full-sized plane, in so far as possible. to which are fastened, asv by inding, two

pieces of resilient wire 14, 14 bent somewhat in L-shape with appreciable inwardly extending loops or U-shaped portions intermediate their ends. The free ends of these wires extend horizontally in an outward direction and form the axles for the wheels 4,4. These wires 14, 14 act as shock absorbers in yieldably resisting the impact of the wheels in contact with the ground on landing, and thus saves the body from possible damage.

The wings 2, 2 are detachable from the fuselage, being fastened thereto by two wire supporting members 15, 15 which also serve to support the propelling unit, as will hereinafter be described. These supporting members are preferably lengths of relatively stiff wire bent into the shape shown in Figure 5, namely, with a central U-shaped portion 15 having a downwardly opening clip 15 at its lower end, and a pair of laterally projecting ends 15, 15 extending in opposite directions from the upper extremities of the central U-shape portion. These supporting members are securely fastened within the fuselage in spaced relation from front to rear and a short distance rearwardly of the front end, with the U-shape portion depending into the hollow interior of the fuselage as clearly shown in Figure 2. I

The end portions 15, 15 or the supports 1 5, 15 project laterally through laterally facing abutment plates 2*, 2 forming a part of the fuselage and having a shape corresponding to the sectional contour of the wings. The inner ends of the wings abut against these plates 2" and the projecting ends 15, 15 one near the forward edge and the other spaced rearwardly, engage sockets bored'or drilled into the longitudinal frame members or struts 11 of the Wings, as shown in Figure 4. These sockets or bores are of a size and depth to receive the projecting ends 15, 15 with a snug fit, so that when the wings are applied the are held securely, but capable of remova This method of attachment is used, first, for convenience in removing the wings for handling and shipment, and, second, to lessen the danger of breakage in case the wings strike the ground on landing or an obstacle during flight. The action of the wing supports in the event of collision is shown in Figure 4, and illustrating the manner in which the rods will bend and pullout of their sockets in the wing struts in case of an impact in the direction indicated. In case the impact is but slight the wings will yield rearwardly at a slight angle, thus absorbing the shock without damage, whereas a severe impact may cause the wings to be completely detached from the fuselage, but without sufiering any particular injury.

Referring now to the propelling mechanism, Figure 5, this device, as before explained, is a unit separate from the plane and cons sts of a light stick of wood 16 somewhat shorter than the fuselage, with the propeller 5 rotatably mounted at its forward end. The propeller preferably consists of a conical shell 17 with radial blades 18 of suitable material such as celluloid extending transversely therethrough. At the middle of the propeller is a hub 18 within the shell and having an axial bore in which is secured one end of a rod or propeller shaft 19, extending axially from the open end of the shell and terminating a short distance beyond in a loop or eye 19*. At the forward end of the stick 16 is a bearing arm 20 bound or otherwise attached thereto. This arm is bent beyond the end of the stick at right angles and has a hole drilled at its end through which the shaft 19 passes and in which it turns. At the rear or opposite end of the stick 16 is a hook 16 over which is looped one end of one heavy or several light rubber bands 21, which supply the motive power for rotating the propeller. The other end of the elastic propelling band passes through the loop 19 at the end of the propeller shaft 19, this being preferably a permanent connection, whereas the connection at the opposite end is detachable.

The propelling device consisting of the parts above described forms a self-contained unit which is detachably held in the fuselage in the following manner: At the forward end of the fuselage is a supporting member 22 not unlike the supports 15, 15, already described. This supporting member (Figure 6) consists of a wire bent so as to form a resilient U-shaped clip 22 secured within an opening 23 in the front section 23 of the fuselage, the

clip facing downwardly toward an enlarged portion of said openin through which the stick 16 is inserted, be ore it is forced upwardly into the clip.

The supporting members 15, 15 have a similar arrangement in the downwardly opening clip portions 15 which have a restricted entrance through which the stick 16 can be forced to hold the same, as shown in Figure 5. Thus the propelling unit is yieldably eld within the fuselage at three points, namely, just rearwardly of the propeller and at points adjacent the central portion of the stick 16.

To prepare the plane for flying, the pro: pelling device is removed from the fuselage and by holding the stick in one hand and turning the propeller with the other, the elastic band is wound up to the desired degree of tightness. Perhaps a better way is to disconnect the rubber bands from the rear end of the stick and twist the same by use of an implement resembling the ordinar egg beater with the shipping blades replaced by a hook. In this way the bands can be wound in much less time and with less effort than by hand. When the bands have been tightly Wound and replaced on the stick the same is inserted through the front opening in the fuselage and then forced'into the supporting clips, the propeller being held against rotation.

By lacing the plane on the ground or other level surface and releasing the pro- 5 peller the plane will start under its own power, travelling a short distance on the ground and finally rising into the air in flight until the power exerted in the unwinding of the elastic band is exhausted and the plane glides down. To prepare for another flight, the propelling device is removed, rewound and inserted as before.

The advantages of the present construction, therefore, is the novel combination of these features essential to a practical aeroplane model, namely, the ability to withstand impacts incident to flight, and requisite lightness and power to enable it to leave the ground and to remain in the air during a flight of considerable duration. These attributes exist in the plane herein disclosed, not only by virtue of the lightness of construction and materials used, but in the provisions made for minimizing the effects of the impact. In the first place, the wings are readily detachable in the event that they encounter an obstruction, thus reducing the probability of any serious injury or breakage. Secondly, the propeller which would ordinarily be the first to strike the ground is readily unseated with the propeller unit from its support, thus avoiding the severe impact that would result if it were rigidly mounted on the plane. Moreover, the provision of the resilient shock absorbing devices intermediate the wheels and the landing struts serve to cushion the impacts with the ground on landing and thus relieving the plane from the full force of landing impacts. In short, the result attained is that of providing a practical and substantial miniature plane, without sacrificing those qualities necessary for flight.

Having set forth the structure and advantages of an aeroplane model embodying the features of the invention,

I claim:

' 1. A model aeroplane having a hollow fuselage and a unitary propelling device adaptprising a stick, a bearing at one end thereof, a shaft in said bearing, a propeller fixed to said shaft, an elastic band connected with the free end of said shaft and the free end of said stick, and yieldable fixtures mounted in said fuselage for detachably engaging said stick.

2. A model aeroplane comprising a fuselage open at one end, a propelling unit consisting of a stick adapted to extend lengthwise of said fuselage with an end projecting from the open end thereof, a propeller journalled at the projecting end of said stick, an elastic band attached to the inner end of said stick and connected with the axis of said propeller, and supports mounted at intervals yzie dingly engage said stick.

3, A model aeroplane comprising a fuselage open at its forward end, a propellin" unit consisting of; a stick adapted to extend lengthwise of said fuselage with an end projecting from the forward end thereof, a propeller journalled at the forward end of said stick, an elastic band attached to the inner end of said stick and connected with the axis of said propeller, and supports mounted at predetermined points within said fuselage and comprising resilient U-shaped clips adapted to engage said stick.

41A model aeroplane comprising a hollow fuselage, wings detachably mounted on said fuselage, a propelling unit including a stick adapted to extend lengthwise of said fuselage and carrying a propeller at one end thereof, and a member for detachably supporting said wings and propellingunit consisting of a wire anchored in said fuselage and bent to form a resilient U-shaped clip adapted to engage said stick and free end portions pro'ecting laterally from the sides of said adapted to engage sockets formed in the abutting" ends of said wings.

5. A model aeroplane com rising a fuselage consisting of a hollow s eleton frame, wings extending laterally from said fuselage and having detachable abutting contact at their inner ends therewith, a propelling unit comprising a stick adapted to be--removably retained in said fuselage, and supporting members for said wings and elling unit anchored in said fuselage and consisting of lengths of relatively stifl' wire bent to form yieldable clips located within said fuselage and adapted to engage said stick and projecting free end portions extending from the sides of said fuselage and adapted to fit in sockets bored in the ends of said wings.

6. A model aeroplane comprising a fuselage in the form of a hollow skeleton frame consisting of longitudinal members and spaced transverse sections, wings extending laterally from said fuselage and consisting of longitudinal members and wing sections, a propelling unit comprising a stick, a propeller and tension member mounted on said stick, and means for detachably connecting said wings and propelling unit comprising a plurality of wires mounted at predetermined intervals within said fuselage and bent intermediate their ends to form clips adapted to engage said stick and free end portions projecting from opposite sides of said fuselage and adapted to be inserted in bores formed in the longitudinal frame members of said wings.

7. A model aeroplane having a hollow fuselage and a removable self-contained propelling unit comprising a stick adapted to extend longitudinally of said fuselage, and prole gthwise'ef said fuselage and adapted to vided with a bearing member at one endthereof, a propeller having a shaft journalled uselage and in said bearing, an elastic propelling element secured at one, end to said longitudinal member and at its other end to said propeller shaft, 7 v and ieldable supporting members mounted within said fuselage and adapted to detachably engage said stick at intervals therealong. 8. In a model aeroplane the combination of a hollow fuselage havinga space extending longitudinallyithereof and an opening at the 10 nose thereof, a propelling unit comprising a stick, a propeller journalled at one end of said stick, an elastic band having one end connected with said propeller and the other end with the opposite end of said stick, and means v at the nose of and within said fuselage for removably supporting the stick of said propelling unit ad acent the nose of and Within said fuselage. 9. In amodel aeroplane, the combinationof a hollow fuselage, having an opening at the forward end thereof, a propelling unit comprising a stick having a propeller journafled at one end an elastic band connected at its ends with said propeller and the other end of said stick, said unit being insertable endwise throu h the opening at the forward end of said uselage with said pro eller exterior thereof, and means for 'remova 1y supporting said unit longitudinally of said fuselage.

Signed by 'me at Chicago, Illinois, this 21 day of October, 1929.

JUN IUS M. SCHUTTE.

v as I 

